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SmartCrate 2416-14

IPL Products Ltd. | May 20, 2005

Veg Pro International has chosen the IPL solid wall SmartCrate™ collapsible container to prevent its produce from drying out and to save transportation costs, it was announced today by IPL Products Ltd.

Veg Pro, a Canadian grower/shipper, is using the IPL SmartCrate 2416-14 with solid walls for harvesting spring mix and baby spinach in Florida and then cooling and transporting the produce to packaging plants in Montreal, Canada. The company chose the hand-held reusable produce container to replace single-use containers in order to reduce packaging costs and waste.

“Reusable containers cost us less than disposable boxes. And being able to collapse the containers on return trips reduces our shipping costs while the solid walls keep the produce intact and cool,” said Anthony Fantin, sales director of Veg Pro.

Once in Florida, the collapsed containers are placed in the field where workers can easily set them up for harvesting. When full, the produce is vacuum cooled and the containers are loaded on to trucks for shipment to Canada. The crate’s solid walls adequately reduce the level of air that reaches the produce, keeping it from drying out while still providing adequate ventilation. The containers can be stacked one upon the other when full without damaging the produce. Once in Canada, the produce is washed and packed for retail.

After the totes are emptied and washed, they are collapsed and sent on trucks back to the fields in Florida. Because the SmartCrate collapses flat, it offers increased volume efficiency and higher return ratios, which help achieve savings on long shipping routes. Veg Pro also uses the SmartCrates at its fields in Canada.

“RPCs have repeatedly proven their ability to reduce costs in the supply chain through reuse and value-added features. The collapsibility of the SmartCrate brings additional savings in freight costs, making them even more economical,” said Eric Fredrickson, sector manager, IPL Material Handling.

About IPL Products Ltd. IPL Products Ltd. is a North American injection molding and extrusion product leader. It was the first injection molder in North America to earn ISO 9001 quality certification. It achieved QS 9000 certification in 1998. The company's headquarters are in St. Damien, Quebec. Totals sales for fiscal year 2003 – 2004 were $209 million CND servicing the material handling, custom molding, packaging, and environmental markets. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.ipl-mh.com.